Estimated 31K Louisiana Residents to be Affected by April 1 Food Stamp Rule
On April 1, Louisiana's new food stamp work rule goes into effect and is expected to impact 31,000 residents.
The new federal food stamp rule is set to limit "work-eligible adults to three months of SNAP benefits in a three-year period unless they are working, volunteering or participating in a job training program for at least 80 hours a month" according to usnews.com.
Louisiana residents who will be exempt from the new work rule are people with dependents, disabilities, students, pregnant women and residents who meet other criteria.
On April 1, the Department of Children and Family Services says roughly 31,000 people will most likely lose food stamp benefits.
However, there are 14 Parishes who are exempt from the food stamp work rule due to unemployment rates being significantly greater than the national average.
According to usnews.com, those Parishes are Assumption, Catahoula, Concordia, East Carroll, Franklin, Madison, Morehouse, Richland, St. Landry, St. Mary, Tensas, Vernon, West Carroll and Winn parishes.